Since the All-Star break, the MLB season has experienced significant changes, both in the standings and in the races for individual awards. This month, Alofoke Deportes’ predictions reflect those transformations, with new leaders and a clear separation in some categories.
Although the differences between projections and bets were notable in the past, there is now a widespread consensus on who the favorites are for each award. However, it is crucial to remember that the baseball season is unpredictable, and many things can change in a short period.
Most Valuable Player
American LeagueLeading Candidate: Aaron Judge, New York Yankees (152 AXE)
Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners (146)
Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals (137)
Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Guardians (136)
Jeremy Pena, Houston Astros (131)
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays (130)
Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins (129)
Julio Rodriguez, Seattle Mariners (127)
Corey Seager, Texas Rangers, Randy Arozarena, Seattle Mariners, Maikel Garcia, Kansas City Royals (126)
Leader Trend: Judge has declined slightly in AXE stats, but remains the leading candidate in the league. Despite some issues with injuries and underperformance, Judge has still not been surpassed by Raleigh. The race, which could have been dominated by a single player, remains open.Biggest Rise: Guerrero has had a great increase in his performance since the All-Star break. In the second half of the season, Guerrero is batting .366/.443/.688, leading the Blue Jays’ offense.To Watch Closely: Raleigh didn’t fully capitalize on Judge’s absence, but his offensive power has resurfaced. If Raleigh maintains this pace and reaches 60 home runs, he could break historical records and become a serious MVP contender.
Leading Candidate: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers (152 AXE)
Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs (140)
Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres (136)
Kyle Tucker, Chicago Cubs (133)
Geraldo Perdomo, Arizona Diamondbacks, Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies, Juan Soto, New York Mets (130)
Will Smith, Dodgers (129)
Corbin Carroll, Diamondbacks (128)
Trea Turner, Phillies (127)
Leader’s Trend: Ohtani and Crow-Armstrong were competing closely, but Ohtani has maintained his level of play, while Crow-Armstrong has had a slump. Ohtani is on track to have a historic season, with impressive projections in both batting and pitching.Major Ascent: Tucker and Crow-Armstrong have experienced declines in their performance, which has affected their teams.To Watch Closely: Schwarber continues to demonstrate his power, with the possibility of reaching 50 home runs and leading the league in RBIs. Although he doesn’t generate enough value in other areas, Schwarber could finish in the top ten in the MVP voting.
Cy Young
American LeagueTop Candidate: Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers (143 AXE)
Drew Rasmussen, Tampa Bay Rays, Michael Wacha, Royals (121)
Max Fried, New York Yankees (120)
Leader’s Trend: The Tigers’ slump has affected Skubal, although it’s not directly his fault. Crochet could take advantage of this situation.Major Ascent: Eovaldi has shown remarkable consistency, with an effectiveness that has been decreasing. Before a recent game, he had allowed one or zero runs in six consecutive starts.Keep an Eye On: Crochet has been very consistent and has had a big impact on the Red Sox. He leads the American League in wins, innings pitched, and strikeouts, being a key pitcher for the team.
National League
Top Prospect: Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates (140.4 AXE)
Cristopher Sanchez, Philadelphia Phillies (140.2)
Zack Wheeler, Phillies (136)
Andrew Abbott, Cincinnati Reds (127)
Nick Pivetta, San Diego Padres (126)
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Los Angeles Dodgers (124)
Nick Lodolo, Reds, Ranger Suarez, Phillies, Matthew Boyd, Chicago Cubs (123)
Logan Webb, San Francisco Giants (121)
Leader’s Trend: Skenes leads the race, although the situation remains open. Skenes has the potential to maintain a low effectiveness, but his workload could be limited.Biggest Rise: Sanchez has maintained exceptional performance since May, with an effectiveness of 2.06. He leads National League pitchers in bWAR.To Watch Closely: Abbott has become the most consistent pitcher in Cincinnati’s rotation. A good performance for the rest of the season could earn him votes for the Cy Young.
Rookie of the Year
American LeagueTop Prospect: Nick Kurtz, Athletics (123 AXE)
Noah Cameron, Kansas City Royals (117)
Jacob Wilson, Athletics (115)
Carlos Narvaez, Boston Red Sox (113)
Roman Anthony, Red Sox (111)
Will Warren, New York Yankees (109)
Cam Smith, Houston Astros (108)
Mike Vasil, Chicago White Sox (107)
Colson Montgomery, White Sox, Jacob Lopez, Athletics (106)
Leader’s Trend: Kurtz has dominated the race, although his performance has decreased in terms of home runs. However, he has maintained a good batting average and on-base percentage.Biggest Rise: Montgomery has shown his offensive power, especially for a rookie infielder.Keep an Eye On: Warren has been consistent and very necessary for the Yankees, maintaining a good ERA.
National League
Top Candidate: Isaac Collins, Milwaukee Brewers (121 AXE)
Drake Baldwin, Atlanta Braves (114)
Caleb Durbin, Milwaukee Brewers (112)
Chad Patrick, Brewers (110)
Bradley Lord, Washington Nationals (109)
Hyeseong Kim, Los Angeles Dodgers (107)
Jack Dreyer, Dodgers, Cade Horton, Chicago Cubs (105)
Matt Shaw, Cubs, Jacob Misiorowski, Brewers, Logan Henderson, Brewers, Jakob Marsee, Miami Marlins (104)
Leader’s Trend: Collins has taken the lead in the race, consolidating his position. Collins, at 28 years old, is an example of how the Brewers achieve success.Major Ascent: Collins has shown great performance in recent weeks.To Watch Closely: Shaw has proven to be the long-term solution at third base for the Cubs.
Manager of the Year
American League
Top Candidate: John Schneider, Toronto Blue Jays (108.9 EARL)
AJ Hinch, Detroit Tigers (108.6)
Joe Espada, Houston Astros (107.2)
Dan Wilson, Seattle Mariners (106.5)
Ron Washington/Ray Montgomery, Los Angeles Angels (105.6)
Summary: Schneider has surpassed Hinch, reflecting the changes in the league standings. Wilson has moved up positions, with the Mariners approaching the Astros.
National League
Top Candidate: Pat Murphy, Milwaukee Brewers (114.5 EARL)
